Who was the first drag queen? How do you pick a drag name?

William Dorsey Swann was the first person to call himself the “queen of drag”. Swann was also the first known American activist to lead a queer resistance group.

The process of picking a drag name varies from person to person. Some drag queens and kings choose a name based on their identity or personality, a certain theme, their inspirations, personal names, pun or play on words, location, or character.

Dressing in drag refers to the practice of men dressing in clothing typically associated with women and vice versa. It may involve wearing clothes normally worn by the opposite sex, including wigs and makeup.

On stage and screen, the actor-playwright-screenwriter-producer Tyler Perry has also included his drag character of Madea in some of his most noted productions.

In the United States, early examples of drag clothing can be found in gold rush saloons in California. In the early 20th century, drag began to flourish with minstrel shows and vaudeville.

RuPaul’s Drag Race which first premiered in 2009 as a television show in the United States has exposed multiple generations of audiences to drag culture.